Pedal apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

A pedal apparatus for a vehicle includes: a pedal arm mounted on a vehicle body by a hinge shaft and having one end connected with a pedal and the other end where a rack gear is formed; a link arm having a pinion gear at one end that meshes with the rack gear to pivot on a center shaft of the pinion gear with respect to the pedal arm, and having the other end where a locking pin is formed; and a plate mounted on the vehicle body, the plate having a sliding groove where the locking pin of the link arm is inserted, in which ridges and depressions are formed at regular intervals in the sliding groove so that the locking pin slides step by step while being locked to the ridges and depressions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pedal apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
 a pedal arm mounted on a vehicle body by a hinge shaft and having a first end connected with a pedal and a second end where a rack gear is formed, with respect to the hinge shaft; 
 a link arm having a pinion gear at one end which meshes with the rack gear to pivot on a center shaft of the pinion gear during pivoting of the pedal arm, and having another end where a locking pin is formed; and 
 a plate mounted on the vehicle body and being formed with a sliding groove, such that the locking pin of the link arm is inserted and slides in the sliding groove, 
 wherein ridges and depressions are formed at intervals in the sliding groove so that the locking pin slides in a step-by-step manner while being locked to the ridges and depressions. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the pedal arm having the rack gear is comprised of an extension link extending upward above the hinge shaft. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the rack gear at the end of the extension link is formed with a plurality of teeth facing downwardly. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a guide slot having a predetermined length is formed through the extension link in parallel with the teeth of the rack gear, at a predetermined position under the rack gear and the pinion gear meshes with the rack gear, with the center shaft fixed to the vehicle body through the guide slot under the rack gear. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the plate is disposed at a predetermined position under the rack gear, and the link arm has the one end disposed upwardly so that the pinion gear engages with the rack gear and the other end disposed downwardly so that the locking pin is inserted in the sliding groove. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a guide slot having a predetermined length is formed at a predetermined position between the rack gear of the pedal arm and the hinge shaft, and the center shaft of the pinion gear is fixed to the vehicle body through the guide slot. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pinion gear is fixed to the one end of the link arm, the center shaft of the pinion gear is fixed to the vehicle body, such that rotation of the pinion gear causes the link arm to rotate. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sliding groove of the plate is formed in an arc shape, coaxially about the center shaft of the pinion gear. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sliding groove of the plate is longer than a length of the rack gear. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ridges and depressions of the sliding groove are formed by a plurality of continuous locking grooves, and the locking pin of the link arm is inserted into and locked in the locking grooves.